Method of producing a unit package containing bituminous material

ABSTRACT

A unit package containing bituminous material such as oxidized asphalt is disclosed, which package consists of at least one prefabricated slab of cooled material wrapped in at least one wrapping of packaging material. Said unit package is easy to handle, requires but little storage space and can be distributed immediately upon its preparation. A method for the preparation of said unit package is also disclosed.

States Patent 11 1 Brisman 1 Dec. 3, 1974 METHOD OF PRODUCING A UNIT [56] References Cited PACKAGE CONTAINING BITUMINOUS UNITED STATES PATENTS MATERIAL 1,666,730 4/1928 Breeze 53 122 X [75] Inventor: Sven Brynolf Brisman, Gothenburg, 213141529 3/1943 Thurston Sweden 2,763,894 9/1956 Bulkley et al 1 v 2,907,109 10/1959 Palmer [73] Assignee: AB Nynas-Petroleurn, Stockholm, 3,455,755 7/1969 Phillips 264/ I45 1 Sweden Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee [22] Filed 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Fred Philpitt [21] Appl. No.: 343,091

. 2 2 ..3 v m m .2" 57 ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data 1 A unit package contammg bltummous material such octflzzi 1969 Swnzerland rule" 6 as oxidized asphalt is disclosed, which package con- Related US. Application Data sists of at least one prefabricated slab of cooled mate- [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 80,024, Oct. 12, 1970, Wrapped at least one wrapping of Packaging abandoned material. Said unit package is easy to handle, requires but little storage space and can be distributed immedi- 52 US. (:1 53/23, 53/25, 53/32, a y p its p p t A method-for the P p 2 4 145 tion of said unit package is also disclosed; [51] Int. 6 C 2 Drawing Figures [58] Field of Search 53/25, 127, 122, 23, 32;

METHOD OF PRODUCING A UNIT PACKAGE CONTAINING BITUMINOUS MATERIAL This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 80,024, filed Oct. 12, 1970, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to unit packages containing bituminous material such as oxidized asphalt and a method for producing the package.

Bituminous materials such as oxidized asphalt are used for various purposes in the building industry, it being desirable that the asphalt is delivered to the building site in units of 30 and up to 50 kg solid material, which are then smelted and used on the site. Various types of unit packages of bituminous material have been proposed, all of which, however, are encumbered with certain disadvantages. Thus, attempts have been made to enclose asphalt in plastic pads cast in a sheet metal mould. Molten asphalt is enclosed in the pads and the manufacture must wait roughly three days before the asphalt cools sufficiently for the pads to be removed from the mould, which is an obvious disadvantage from the point of view of space. Attempts have also been made to fill paper bags with molten asphalt, so-called valve bags, i.e., of the type provided with a self-closing outlet. The time taken for the asphalt to cool, however, is also in this case relatively extensive and it is necessary to place the bags in single layers of one bag on the ground, which also requires a large storage area. Furthermore, when filling valve bags, the paper flaps forming part of the valve become entrained with and fastened in the asphalt, and are ignited when the asphalt is heated at a later stage, whereupon they burn in the manner of a wick.

Swedish Pat. No. 200,209 describes another method of packaging bituminous material. According to this publication, the molten material is placed into a bag made of plastic foil hose, whereafter the bag is cooled in water. Cooling of the package causes the bituminous material to contract and 'the packaging material becomes crinkled, thereby permitting moisture to enter the package, which results in eruptions when the material is resmelted on the site.

These disadvantages are eliminated by the present invention, which relates to a method for producing a unit package of bitiminous material which is easy to handle and which requires but little storage space. The invention also relates to a unit package produced according to the method.

The unit packages of bituminous material, preferably oxidized asphalt, produced in accordance with the invention are mainly characterized by the fact that they consist of prefabricated slabs of cooled material, which are tightly wrapped, either singly or in groups of at least two, in one or more layers of a packaging material. The unit packages are produced by dispersing molten bituminous material, preferably oxidized asphalt, in a thin layer over a cooled support surface, to form suitably sized slabs, optionally subsequent to cutting the layer, which slabs are then tightly wrapped, either singly or in groups of at least two, in one or more layers of packaging material.

The molten material is suitably spread onto a chilled endless steel belt provided with longitudinally extending strips which divide the belt into a plurality of longitudinally extending channels. The channels are filled with molten bituminous material through either one common nozzle or through a number of individual nozin a thin layer on a steel belt 2 through a filling nozzle zles. The strips of material obtained in the channels are then cut .into suitable sizes and the resulting slabs are packed either singly or in bundles in the wrapping material. The molten material is spread on the chilled steel support surface to a layer thickness of 10 50 mm, preferably 25 30 mm. The material is cooled both on the upper and lower surface thereof, whereby a crust is formed on the material, this crust having a thickness of the order of roughly 4 5 mm. Cooling of the layer of molten material is adjusted so that the heat radiating from the inner, hot portions of the layer is unable to remelt the crust. The strips of bituminous material are then cut with a knife coated with a release agent such as hot oil, silicone oil or glycerine, or by means of an electrically heated Kanthal band. The cut surfaces are then coated with a release agent such as oil, silicone oil or glycerine to prevent them from sticking together.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a section view in perspective of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the molten material is spread l, whereafter the belt 2 is chilled by means of a water cooling device 3. The web of material 4 is then transferred to another steel belt 5, the web 4 being turned so that the unchilled side comes into contact with the belt 5, which is chilled by means of a water cooling device 6. The chilled web 7 is then passed to cutting and packaging machines (not shown).

With the embodiment'illustrated in FIG. 2, a steel belt 2 is provided with longitudinally extending ribs 8, thereby dividing the web-of material into strips 9.

In order to produce packages which can be stacked on a loading platform constructed to European standards the material can be spread to a thickness of 2.5 cm on a belt 2.5 m wide which is divided by longitudinally extending ribs into six 0.35 m wide strips or channels, which are filled either by means of a common nozzle or by means of separate nozzles. Subsequent to the six different strips of material having passed another belt of similar width, they are placed one on top of the other and cut into pieces of cm. The cut surfaces are then coated with oil or glycerine, to prevent them from sticking together, whereafter the finished material is passed to a packaging machine, where it is, for example, wrapped in three layers of kraft paper, of which the innermost layer is release treated and the outermost layer is optionally treated with a plastic composition, thereby rendering the package moisture proof. The manner in which the package is sealed depends on the mode of operation of the packaging machine. The packages may be stacked on the loading platform in tiers of three and are completely chilled and hence can be distributed immediately. If the package is subjected to a heavy load or to strong sunlight, it will become slightly rounded, although this change in shape does not make the stacked load less stable.

The invention is not restricted to the described and illustrated embodiment, the essential features being that molten, bituminous material is spread in a thin layer which is chilled and optionally cut into suitably sized pieces, these pieces being subsequently packed in units containing one or more such pieces. Thus, it is conceivable that the molten material is molded in a thin layer in a mould having a cooled bottom and covered with a cooled lid.

What I claim is:

l. A method for packaging a material consisting of oxidized asphalt which comprises:

a. introducing into a cooling zone a material consisting of oxidized asphalt,

b. spreading said molten oxidized asphalt upon a chilled support surface as it enters the cooling zone, into a plurality of essentially parallel and laterally confined thin strips that have widths much greater than their thickness,

c. the thickness of each of said chilled confined thin strips being between about 25 and 30 mm,

d. cooling both the lower and upper surfaces of said plurality of confined thin strips for a sufficient time and at a fast enough rate so as to produce cooled thin strips consisting of oxidized asphalt that each:

1. have a 4 5 mm thick crust on the upper surface,

2. have a 4 5 mm thick crust on the lower surface,

and 3. have an interior portion between said crusts that is hot and unsolidified, said crusts having a thickness sufficient to resist the remelting effect caused by heat radiating from the inner hot portions of the layer, e. cutting the strips formed from step (d) into slabs of the desired size, and f. wrapping the thus formed slabs with at least one layer of packaging material, and assembling the wrapped slabs into unitary packages.

2. A method for packaging units consisting of oxidized asphalt which comprises:

a. introducing into a cooling zone a material consisting of molten oxidized asphalt,

b. spreading said molten oxidized asphalt into a wide thin layer of 10 50 mm thickness upon a chilled support surface,

c. cooling the wide thin layaer formed by step (b) for a sufficient time and at a fast enough rate so as to produce a cooled thin strip consisting of oxidized asphalt that has an exterior surface crust in the order of 4 to 5 mm of its exterior surface and an unsolidified hot inner portion, said exterior surface crust having a thickness sufficient to resist the remelting effect caused by heat radiating from the inner hot portions of the thin strip, and

d. subdividing the strips formed in accordance with step (c) into smaller units of the desired size, and

e. applying wrapping material to said smaller units. 3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the molten material is spread to a layer thickness of 25 30 mm.

4. The process according to claim 3, wherein the molten material is spread in the form of a number of parallel strips, which are thereafter cut into slabs.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the cut surfaces are coated with a release agent.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the release agent is oil, silicone oil or glycerine. 

1. HAVE A 4 - 5 MM THICK CRUST ON THE UPPER SURFACE,
 1. A METHOD FOR PACKAGING A MATERIAL CONSISTING OF OXIDIZED ASPHALT WHICH COMPRISES: A. INTRODUCING INTO A COOLING ZONE A MATERIAL CONSISTING OF OXIDIZED ASPHALT, B. SPREADING SAID MOLTEN OXIDIZED ASPHALT UPON A CHILLED SUPPORTING SURFACE AS IT ENTERS THE COOLING ZONE, INTO A PLURAL ITY OF ESSENTIALLY PARALLEL AND LATERALLY CONFINED THIN STRIPS THAT HAVE WIDTHS MUCH GREATER THAN THEIR THICKNESS, C. THE THICKNESS OF EACH OF SAID CHILLED CONFINED THIN STRIPS BEING BETWEEN ABOUT 25 AND 30 MM, D. COOLING BOTH THE LOWER AND UPPER SURFACES OF SAID PLURALITY OF CONFINED THIN STRIPS FOR A SUFFICIENT TIME AND AT A FAST ENOUGH RATE SO AS TO PRODUCE COOLED THIN STRIPS CONSISTING OF OXIDIZED ASPHALT THAT EACH:
 2. HAVE A 4 - 5 MM THICK CRUST ON THE LOWER SURFACE, AND
 2. A method for packaging units consisting of oxidized asphalt which comprises: a. introducing into a cooling zone a material consisting of molten oxidized asphalt, b. spreading said molten oxidized asphalt into a wide thin layer of 10 - 50 mm thickness upon a chilled support surface, c. cooling the wide thin layaer formed by step (b) for a sufficient time and at a fast enough rate so as to produce a cooled thin strip consisting of oxidized asphalt that has an exterior surface crust in the order of 4 to 5 mm of its exterior surface and an unsolidified hot inner portion, said exterior surface crust having a thickness sufficient to resist the remelting effect caused by heat radiating from the inner hot portions of the thin strip, and d. subdividing the strips formed in accordance with step (c) into smaller units of the desired size, and e. applying wrapping material to said smaller units.
 2. have a 4 - 5 mm thick crust on the lower surface, and
 3. have an interior portion between said crusts that is hot and unsolidified, said crusts having a thickness sufficient to resist the remelting effect caused by heat radiating from the inner hot portions of the layer, e. cutting the strips formed from step (d) into slabs of the desired size, and f. wrapping the thus formed slabs with at least one layer of packaging material, and assembling the wrapped slabs into unitary packages.
 3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the molten material is spread to a layer thickness of 25 - 30 mm.
 3. HAVE AN INTERIOR PORTION BETWEEN SAID CURSTS THAT IS
 4. The process according to claim 3, wherein the molten material is spread in the form of a number of parallel strips, which are thereafter cut into slabs.
 5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the cut surfaces are coated with a release agent.
 6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the release agent is oil, silicone oil or glycerine. 